Water inlet for dishwashers or the like



Dec. 2, 1952 HAGEN 2,619,977

WATER INLET FOR DISHWASHEIRS OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 9, 1950 I n vent o r: Robert C. Hagen,

H is Att orn ey.

Patented Dec. 2, 1.952

.WATER INLET :FOR DISHWASHERS .OR THE LIKE Robert "C. Hagen, BridgepottpConn assignor to General Electric Company, azcorporation .of

New York Application August 9, 195.0,LSei-iaYNo. 178;517

2 'Claims.

"My invention relates .;to dishwashers -or similar machines orfixtures'which use water "in "their operation. More particularly my invention "relates' to "a waterinlet forsuchmachines.

.Many plumbing codes requireanairgapin-the water supply line to:dishwashers'andisimilar -fixturns, to prevent possible back-siphonage from 'the fixture to the-'water supply under abnormal conditions. My inventionis"designed to provide such"an*air gap. Another "object of-my-invention .is to provide aninexpensive'and -eff ective water inlet "construction for portable dishwashers and similar machines,"the inlet assembly "being readilydetachable fromthe' machine.

"Still another objeot'of my invention is to utilize "necessary existing parts on-the "machine as part of the *passageway for the water inlet. further-object "of my invention is-to provide a -deflectorfor watercoming into themachine from the inlet so that a useful water spraymay be provided inside the -machine.

Other" objects and-detailsofthat whichI believe to benovelandmy invention-will be clear from "the "following description and claims takenwith the accompanying drawing in whichis illustrated an example of dishwasher embodying the present inventionandinoorporating my improved water inlet construction.

In the drawingTFigll is azside. view of a machine showing.itsconnection to .a .waterinlet or supply and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional .viewiillustrating details of the inlet of my invention.

Although my :invention will cbe=shown and described in connection with aportable drainboard- .mounted dishwasher, obviouslyother types oftap- ,paratus 'couldbe provided with'the waterlinletiof my; invention. For the purposes :of illustration .onlytherefore'my' invention is .shown in connec- :tion with a dishwasherhavingga' body or:tub'.;por-

:tion I havingan' open top'which; is closed .by a

top; surface in the'form "of a removable. cover 2.

"Suitableracks' inside of the tub hold the dishes for washing by.mechanisms..also. inside of the tub which form no part of the present invention. At thebottom of the tub 'I provide a drain-spout '3 whichisin the position shown in solid lines flexible water i inlet hose *8. All of the alcove -described'elements may beregardedasmore-or less conventional and therefore they m-ay-take forms otherthan those shown.

Suitably secured inside of the flexible hose 8 atits end I provide an L-shaped nozzle 'tube ll. This-*tube is secured to andterminates inside of the hollow, generally *tubular nozzle hea'd H] which-is composed of an upper =collar or-ring H a lower collar or ring I l2 and -a' pair of sup giorting and spacing legs l3 which-conneot the -two collars andwhich provide an air gap 1 ll' 'between the upper and lower collars. This-air gap is pre'ferably oneinch or more to satisty plumbing code requirements.

The inside diameter of the nozzle head member ismade greater than the inside :diameter of the end of the nozzle tube" 9*so-' that water discharged from the nozzle tubewill fall freely through-the nozzle head-and not outwardly through-the openings in the head. For this-same reasortthe-nozZle head is 'vertically--mounted when in use. Naturally,--the lowerend of the tube lliterminateseshort of :the top of the air gap.

-For properly connecting thenozzle=head toithe machine the bottom-end: of the -head is=seatedremovabl-y' in-a' central hole I5 in the 'han-dle oi knob I B for the cover-of the machine. "This hole and .thecorresponding hole in the coveraswell as 'the interior of rthe nozzle 'head form= a passageway for water coming into -themachine from: outside. The hole t5 in-the knobg is made at least the same diameter as :the inside: of thenozzle head at the bottom for unobstructed "flow 1 of water, an'diis for easy graspingso that the cover-of the machine may be removed .when :desired. ':'F .-,t i

=reason an'd because the cover is likely to 'bei-hot, "theiknob is 1 made preferablyrof 1 heat l insulating 45 material-such as:a suitableplastic. and is secured to" the cover as E by screws l 8 :onlyl one shown) The knob is provided with a lower skirt portion I9 which is raised at its edges from the cover and which conceals vent holes 20 in the cover surrounding the handle. These vent holes relieve pressure from inside the fixture and prevent the build-up of excessive pressure during operation.

The vent holes 20 are covered on the inside of the machine by an outwardly flaring baffle 2| which may be secured inside of the cover by the same screws which hold the knob in place. This baflle and the skirt on the handle present a tortuous path to retard water or suds against escaping from the dishwasher through the vent holes. The vent holes also serve as drainage openings for water from the cup-shaped depression 22 in the cover in which the handle is located.

Under the central hole in the handle and therefore under the end of the nozle head when it is seated in the handle, is a cone-shaped deflector 23. This is positioned axially in alignment with the passageway for the incoming water and has its apex pointed toward the passageway so that incoming water provides a sprayrinse toraise the temperature of dishes in the machine and to flush excessive soil from the dishes before the washing operation begins. This deflector may also serve as a baffle to prevent bubbles or suds or splashing water from passing in the opposite direction when no water is coming into the machine. The deflector cone is preferably removably supported by the baflle 2! but in spaced relation therefrom. Such a support may take the form of resilient wire arms 24 which are brazed, welded or otherwise suitably secured to the deflector and have hooked ends 25 which can be snapped over the edges of the baffle as shown in Fig. 2. These arms are three or more in number so as to position the deflector properly in the path of water discharged by the nozzle into the machine.

In operation of my invention, hot water is Supplied to the tube 9 from the faucet and the water drops through the nozzle head past the air gap l4 striking the top of the deflector and being sprayed into the machine. The baffle 2! prevents the sprayed water from coming out through the vent holes 29 and the vent holes prevent any build-up of pressure due to air heated by the hot water inside the machine. When enough water has been introduced into the machine the faucet is shut off and the air gap [4 will eifectively prevent any back-siphonage of .be unloaded from the machine.

It will be seen that my invention provides no direct unbroken connection between the water supply and the dishwasher or similar fixture. It requires no alteration of existing machines if such machines are already provided with a vertically directed water supply opening. The cover knob is used also for a part of the inlet assembly.

As will be evident from the foregoing description certain aspects of my invention are not limited to the particular details of construction of the example illustrated, and I contemplate that various and other modifications and applications of the invention will occur to those skilled in theart. It is therefore my intention that the 4 appended claims shall cover such modifications and applications as do not depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A water inlet for a dishwasher or the like having a removable top cover, said inlet comprising a knob on said cover, said cover being depressed in the vicinity of said knob and having vent holes therein surrounding said knob, a skirt on said knob over said vent holes but spaced therefrom so as not to obstruct said vent holes, a passageway through said top cover and knob for conducting water to the inside of said dishwasher, a vertically extending tubular nozzle head removably seated in the knob portion of said passageway, said nozzle head being divided into two tubular portions spaced by leg members fixed therebetween to provide a substantial gap between said tubular portions, a baflle attached to. the underside of said top cover and extending under said cover throughout the area occupied by said cover holes, and deflecting means carried by said cover in spaced relation with the lower e d of said passageway.

2. A water inlet for a dishwasher or similar machine which uses water in its operation and has a tub body with a removable cover forming a top surface for said machine, said inlet comprising a knob on said cover, a passageway through said top surface cover and knob for conducting water from the outside tothe inside of the machine, a vertically extending tubular nozzle head removably seated in the knob portion of said passageway, said nozzle head having an air ga therein in its sides, said cover having Vent holes therein surrounding said knob, a bafile under said holes, and a cone-shaped deflector removably suspended from said bafile inside said cover opposite said passageway and the bottom end of said nozzle head, with the apex of the cone facing and being axially aligned with the end of the passage, said knob and vent holes being located in a depressed portion of said cover with a skirt on said knob covering but not obstructing said vent holes.

ROBERT C. HAGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

